This invention relates to an upholstered panel, such as for the interior of an automobile, and more particularly, to an improved method and apparatus for making such panels in which a sheet of polymeric fabric is adhered to the appearance surface of a unitary panel and its edge joined to a groove of the panel to form a seam of attractive appearance. Two or more sheets of similar or different material can also be used to cover contiguous surface areas of such unitary panel, their edges being joined to the groove to form an attractive seam.
Linings to cover otherwise unattractive surfaces of panels are well-known and are in common usage in the building trade, in general, and in the automotive industry, such as for use in trim panels for lining the interior of automobiles. Trim panels for vehicles typically include a relatively rigid support base having a contoured appearance surface which is covered by one or more sheets of thin material, such as a polymeric fabric, leather or vinyl. In these assemblies, it is important that the edges of the sheet, where joined to the panel, be attractive.
Generally, these assemblies can be made by injection molding a substrate panel directly onto the sheet or preforming the panel and joining the sheet material to the panel. Illustrative of the former approach is the trim panel disclosed in Strapazzini U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,031. Although the edges of the sheet material are joined first, this is a labor intensive step. The injection molding process has a disadvantage of requiring expensive mold apparatus.
Illustrative of the latter approach is the method disclosed in Repper et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,390 wherein a unitary preformed panel is partitioned into contiguous first and second surface areas by a groove penetrating into the surface and the two surface areas successively covered by sheet material. In the method, the first surface area is masked while adhesive is sprayed onto the second surface area, a first sheet is positioned over the entire surface of the panel and the portion covering the first surface area trimmed away, and a second sheet is adhered to the second surface area. The second sheet is adhered to the panel, either by adhesive sprayed onto or provided on the back of the sheet, and the sheet edge is tucked into the groove.
According to one aspect of this method, since no heat treatment is necessary, it is very important that the combined width of the sheet edges exceed the width of the groove whereby to provide a tight joint. Although the trim panel so formed may provide an acceptable product, the steps of covering the first part of the panel surface, spraying adhesive onto the second part of the surface, waiting for the adhesive to dry, cutting the unwanted sheet portion from the second part without cutting the panel, and joining the second sheet to the panel appears to be costly, either as being labor intensive or in the time involved between steps. The automotive industry is always looking for ways to produce a cost-effective and attractive package.
Accordingly, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a novel interior lining for automobiles, comprising different sheet materials.
A further object of the invention resides in the provision of novel means for thermal bonding a lining to a substrate, using different sheet materials, in an economical and attractive manner.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an interior trim panel comprising a unitary foundation panel having contiguous surface areas and a sheet of limp material bonded to at least one of the surface areas.
A further object of the invention is to provide an interior lining of different sheet material for automotive vehicles which are joined by a seam of attractive appearance.
A still further object of this invention is provision of an interior lining having an attractive seam wherein the edge portion of the sheet material forming the seam is retained in a receiving groove, or on a contoured surface of the panel extending between surface areas of the panel, solely by adhesive.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method and apparatus for making a vehicle body door upholstery panel, the method including the steps of providing a unitary foundation panel including at least two contiguous surface areas partitioned by a groove penetrating into the panel to a predetermined depth, adhering an adhesive-backed surface of a sheet of upholstery cover material to one surface area of the panel, pressing a heated platen against the sheet to cause the adhesive to become tacky and adhere to the one surface area, the platen having a peripheral lip to force a portion of the sheet against the wall of the sheet, and while the platen is pressed against the sheet driving an insertion blade downwardly and into the groove to force the marginal edge portion of the sheet material into the groove, and holding the platen against the sheet and insertion of the blade in the groove for a sufficient period of time, the blade forming an air barrier to shield the sheet material on the panel from the heated platen.
Further objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the detailed consideration of the arrangement and construction of the constituent parts as set forth in the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.